Steam-trap.



Patented Aug. I, |899.

J. W. NSMITH.

STEAM TRAP.

(Appication tiled Feb. 18, 1899.) (No Modal.)

MTNEEEES o JNVEN'II'DR:

UNrrinn -f Sra'rns PATENT OFFICE;

.IOIIN ,VILIIIAM NASMITII, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

STEAMMTRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters raten No. 630,090, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed February 18,1899. Serial No. 705,967. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that LJoHN WILLIAM NAsMITH, of Manchester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Traps, of which the following is a specilioation.

This invention is an improvement on the steam-trap shown in United States Letters Patent No. 608,384, granted to Victor Aim Prost August 2, 1893, said trap comprising a water-receptacle, a conduit for steam and water entering the said receptacle and having an outlet therein, a float having a vertical movementin the receptacle and inclosing said outlet, a valve located within the float and adapted to open and close the outlet, and devices which cooperate with the float to operate the valve when said float rises and falls. In the trap shown in the said patent the valve was carried at the lower end of a screw and the float in rising and falling was caused to rotate in order to operate this screw, and thereby Seat and unseat the valve. The nec,.-

' essary mechanism incident to this arrangement operated with considerable friction and would sometimes impair the perfect working of the trap.

The present invention contemplates the employment of mechanism inclosed within the float for operating the valve; and it has for its object to provide an improved device for guiding the float and valve-operating mechanism and adjusting the valve, said mechanism being so constructed that the valve may be adjusted from outside without removing the iloat.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and arrangement which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a vertical sectional view of a steam-trap constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Eig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Eig. l.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, a represents a conduit which receives Water and steam from a boiler or system of piping through a suitand fall in the receptacle c, said float being closed at its upper end and opened at its lower end and having in its top wall a valve openl ing Yor socket occupied by a light valve h, which when depressed by its own weight permits the escape of air or vapor from the interior of the lioat. also be provided with a small vent la for the escape of air. y

g represents an annular yoke or nozzle in which the outlet a is located, said yoke being formed with upwardly-projecting ears g g on either side of the Valve d and having an annular guide or collar g2 for said valve. At the top of the ears g' g', pivoted to studs f f', are levers f f, diverging toward opposite sides of the float e. At their inner ends said levers carry pins f3 f3, engaged with notches in the ends of a block or nut d, through which screws a threaded rod e', attached at its lower end below the nut d to the valve d by means of a pin, the connection being made so that the end of the rod will bear the upward pressure of the valve, as represented in Fig. 2. The outer ends of the levers f f are pivotally connected with levers f4 f4, which are crossed at their middle points and pivotally connected thereat, and the pivoted levers f4 are in turn pivoted or connected at their upper ends with a third set of levers f5 f5, pivotally connected to a link f6. The link in turn is pivoted to a boss or rose e2, attachedto the top or roof of the float e. The arrangement forms what are commonly known as lazy-tongs, which when extended will cause a downward movement of the valve to its seat. When the lazy-tongs are con traoted or flattened out, the valve is raised from its seat. It will readily be seen that The said top wall may IOO the up-and-down movement of the float will produce such an extension and contraction and a consequent operation of the valve.

The threaded rod 'L' is prolonged upwardly through the top of the ioat e, having a sliding bearing e therein, which may be provided with a gland or packing. The top of the rod projects through an aperture in the cover c3` of the receptacle c and has attached to its upper end, by means of aset-screw i2, a block 1l. The said block has a squared lower end fitting in a square socket in a boss c2, attached to the cover c3, the arrangement permitting the rod@l to rise and fall, but normally preventing it from turning.

The operation of the above-described apparatus is as follows: The receptacle o is first filled with water up to the level of its outlet r overflow c. The connection between the conduit a and the pipe or boiler may then be opened and the steam turned on. The ioat e being depressed, and the valve d consequently open, the air which is driven before the steam escapes from the conduit a into the float e and from thence into the receptacle c through the small valve h in the top of the oat. lVater follows the air and is added to the supply already in the receptacle c, causing an overflow through the. outlet c', the water finding its way under the lower end of the float e. The water gradually becomes hotter and hotter, heating the vertical portion of the conduit a until by the time the water in immediate contact with the steam arrives in the lower portion of said conduit the water surrounding the vertical portion of the conduit is above the boilingpoint, and low-pressure steam is given off within the fioat e in sufficient quantity to close the valve h and raise the float and close the valve d. The inflow being checked, the temperature of the water is reduced, and the pressure being reduced within the float e the said lioat falls by its own weight, causing the opening of the valve d and letting more water escape from the conduit into the receptacle c. These oscillations of the ioat continue for a few minutes, gradually diminishing in amplitude until the float assumes a fixed position and remains stationary. The whole apparatus is vthen in equilibrium, the valve d having adjusted itself and regulated the outlet of the conduit so as to just permit under the pressure ofthe steam, whatever it may be, the outliow of the water of condensation at the same rate as that at which it forms, no more nor less being allowed to ilow. The rod i guides the float and its contained mechanism during the vertical movements of said float and also provides a means for adjusting the valve d to regulate its distance from the valve-seat surrounding the outlet a'. When said adjustment becomes necessary, the set-screw i2, fixing the block i' to the upper end of the rod, is loosened, and said rod is turned a suflicient distance to effect the required adjustment, and the said screw is then retightened, preventing a further turning of the rod and fixing the valve at the required adjustment. The nut d being of rectangular form and confined between the ears g is prevented by such confinement and by its engagement with the ends of the levers ff from turning when the rod t' is turned. l

I claiml. A steam-trap comprising a water-receptacle, a conduit for steam and water, having an outlet in said receptacle, a iioat movable within the receptacle and inclosing said outlet, a valve located within the iioat and adapted to open and close the outlet, a connection between the iioat and valve whereby the movements of the oat operate the valve, a rod connected with the Valve and passingl through the iloat, and a guide for said rod outside of the float.

2. A steam-trap comprising a water-receptacle, a conduit for steam and water having an outlet withinv said receptacle and inclosing said outlet, a valve located within the float and adapted to open and close the outlfet, a connection between the iioat and valve, whereby the movements of the float operate the valve, said connection including a block or nut, and a threaded rod screwing through `said nut and attachedrto the valve, said rod being prolonged through the wall of the iioat and having a sliding bearing therein, and means outside of the Iioat for guiding said rod, said means being constructed to normally prevent the rod from turning.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN VILLIAM NASMITH.

Witnesses:

RroHD. S. HARPER, WILLIAM GRAHAM.

IOO 

